Automobile door



May 22, 1928.

A. L. LAMBERT AUTOMOBILE DOOR Filed Sept. 16, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheer.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY May 22, 1928.

A. L. LAMBERT AUTOMOBILE- DOOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 16, 1925lliiaiga mvEgoR ATTORNEY Patented 1a., 22, 1928.

7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A AL'BERT L. LAMBERT, OI PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HEIN'IZIANUPACTUBING' COMPANY, '01 PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TIONOF PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMOBILE DOOR.

This invention relates to vehicle doors, and more particularly relatesto all-metal doors for automobile bodies.

. The principal object of my invention is to provide an all-metal doorfor vehicles which presents a window space of increased width and whichat thesame time is exceedingly light in weight and at the same tlme verysturdy and durable. Another ob ect of my invention is to provide a doorconstruction which is inexpensive to manufacture and is attractive inappearance. A further ob ect of my invention is to provide improvedreenforcing means for the sides of the door.

Other objects of'my inventionwill be in part obvious and in part pointedout hereinafter.

In accordance with my invention, the door comprises frame members madeup of light gauge sheet metal reenforced in a very simple manner bysheet metal reenforc ing strips 'and' by a stiifening tube runnm acrossthe door at a central portion thereo In order that a clearerunderstanding of my inventionmay be had, attention. is hereby directedto the accompanylng drawings, forming a part of this application and1llustrating one possible embodiment of my in vention.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front view of a door embodying myinvention, a-lower corner thereof being broken away; Fig. 2 is asectional view thereof, and is taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig.3 is a sectional view of another portion thereof, and is taken on theline 3-3 of Fig. 1. Similar reference characters refer to similar partsthroughout the several views of'the drawings. I

Referring to the drawings, the door 0st at the hinge edge includes apieceof s eet metalextending the full height of the door. This iece isshaped to provide the edge wall 1 of t e door, and at its outer edge isflanged outwardl as at 2. At the inner edge of wall 1 t is sheet metalpiece is bent inv wardly, as at 3, then forwardly, as at 4,

'then-outwardl as at ,5, and then forwardly, as at 6. At t e upperportion of the door andextending across the window .opening this pieceends at flange 6. Below the window opening, flange 6 is extended andfrom"- ly, as 313 142.

and retaining means.

its end a flange 7 is broken oil inwardly. A stifiening and reenforcingmember 8 is disposed within this sheet metal member. This member 8 is ofcorrugated or tortuous shape longitudinally, so that at certain portions it will abut against the wall 1, and at other portions it will abutagainst flange 6. Wherever this member 8 abuts either of these portions1 or 6, it is rigidly secured thereto, preferably by welding. Member 8preferably is one piece and extends the full height of the door.

A somewhat similar construction obtains along the other edge of thedoor. Here the post includes a single sheet of light gauge metal, shapedto present awall 9 forming the door edge and having along its forwardedge a flange 10. At the inner end of wall 9 the sheet metal has aportion extending inwardly, as at 11, then forwardly, as at 12, thenoutwardly as at 13, and then forward- At the window opening, the sheetmetal ends at this flange 14, but below the window, flange 14 isextended and is broken off inwardly, as at 15. If the jamb of the dooris straight, wall 9 should be straight. If the door jamb is stepped,wall 9 should also be stepped, for instance, as

shown. Within this sheet metal piece is placed a reenforcing andstiffening member, also of sheet metal. This reenforcing member extendsthe full length of the door post and has a longitudinal portion 16 whichis depressed or ofl'set inwardly'so as to abut.

flange 14;. At each side of the portion 16 the reenforcing member hasflanges-.17 and 18, which abut against the wall 9 and follow thecontourthereof, except where the tubular'reenforcing member 19 extends acrossthe door, and here the flange 18 of the reenforcing member isstraightened, so that the adjacent end of tube 19 will properly meet thesame. If desired, at this point, wall 18 beyond tube 19 may be flangedoutwardly, as at 20, and welded, as at 21, to the wall 9. This tubularmember 19 is welded at its ends to the reenforcing members on each edgeof the door.

Adjacent the window opening and to each side post of the door may besecured a panel strip 22, which provides window molding The outer edgeof and durable. It will also be noted that the each strip 22 may beflanged over the adjacent flange of the post member, to wit, flanges 2or 10. At its inner edge, the panel has a rabbeted window retainingportion 23, one wall 24 of which rests against the adjacent postreenforcing strip and is secured thereto, preferably by welding. Belowthe window opening, an outer panel 25 is placed on the outer side of thedoor and extends between the vertical door posts, the side edges of thispanel being flanged about the adjacent post anges 2 and 10. At its upperedge panel 25. is curved inwardly, as at 26, to present an attractiveappearance along the lower edge of the window opening. Preferably,across the top of the window a suitable panel strip 27 is extendedbetween the tops of the vertical door post, but this panel may beomitted, if desired. Hinge plates 28 are inserted between the wall 1 andthe reenforcing strip 8, and are secured to this strip as by screws 29the flange 2 and the outer door panel members 22 and 25 being cut awayto allow the hinge plates 28 to protrude.

From the above it will be readily apparent that the door posts may beconstructed exceedingly narrow in the plane of the door and inconsequence, that an increased width of window space is provided. Itwill also be apparent that the door is exceedingly light inconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, and at the same time isexceedingly strong vertical reenforcements are on each side of the door,one taking the hinges and by means of its irregular corrugated shapefurnishes a welding surface for the bottom of the glass run and the edgeof the door alternately. The other reenforcement forms acontinuousbridge between the edge of-the door and the glass run.Strength and rigidity is enhanced by the tube which is welded betweenthese two reenforcing members. By following this construction it ispossible to make a sturdy and strong door, which has very narrow posts,with the result that there is a maximum expanse of window opening and aminimum of obstruction to the vision of the driver and occupants of'thevehicle.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and as manyapparently in combination, an edge wall portion, an

widely different embodiments of this invention could be made withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim io:-

1. In a door of the character described,

angular window runway portion spaced from s a1d wall portion, and areenforcing plate lntermediate said wall portion and runway portion,said plate being of tortuous form longitudinally and at certain portionsabutting said wall and secured thereto and at intermediate portionsabutting said runway member and secured thereto.

2. In a door of the character described, in combination, an edge wallportion, an angular window runway portion spaced from said wall portion,and a reenforcing plate intermediate said wall portion and runwayportion, said plate having a longitudinal portion abutting and securedto said wall and having an inwardly depressed longitudinal portionabutting and secured to said runway member.

3. A door of the character described, comprising, in combination, anintegral piece of sheet metal formed to constitute an edge wall with aportion along one edge extending inwardly, then forwardly, thenoutwardly and then forwardly, to form a window runway member spaced fromsaid wall, and a longitudinal reenforcing strip between said wall andrunway member, said reenforcing strip being shaped to abut both saidwall and said runway member and being secured to said Wall and runwaymember where said abutment exists.

4. A'door of the character described, cornprising, in combination, anintegral piece of sheet metal formed to constitute an edge wall with aportion along one edge extending inwardly, then forwardly, thenoutwardly, then forwardly, then inwardly, to form a window runway spacedfrom said wall, and a longitudinal reenforcing strip between said walland runway, said reenforcing strip being shaped to abut both said walland said runway and being secured to said wall and runway where saidabutment exists.

p 5. In a pillar of the character described, in combination, a verticalreenforcing strip of channel shape and flanged at the mouth of thechannel, and a pillar strip embracing the reenforcing strip and having aportion dis osed against the open face of the reen orcing strip andsecured to the flanges thereof, and having a flanged portion,constituting a window runway element, posltioned at the opposite face ofthe reenforcing strip and seating against the bottom wall of thechannel, whereby said pillar strip'portions are reenforced and held inposition on the opposite faces of the reenforcing strip.

6. In a door of the character described,- in combination, a pillar stripshaped to form an edge wall of the door and an angular window runwayportion spaced inwardly of the edge wall, and a reenforcing plate,angular 1n cross section, disposed between and secured to both said edgewall and said runway portion.

7. In a door of the character described,

the edge wall, a reenforclng plate, angular in cross section, disposedbetween and secured to both said edge wall and said runway portion, anda panel strip having along one edge a complementary window runwayportion secured to the reenforcing plate, said strip being secured alongits other edge to the pillar strip at the edge of the door.

8. In a door of the character described, in combination, a sheet metalpillar strip having a door edge portion and an angular window runwayportion,-a panel strip flanged to form the complementary portion of thewindow runway, and a reenforcing member disposed between-said door edgeportion and both said window runway portions, and secured thereto.

' 9. In a door of the character described, in combination, a sheet metalpillar strip having a door edge portion and an angular window runwayportion, a panel strip flanged to form the complementary portion of thewindow runway, and a reenforcing memberdisposed between said door edgeportion and both said window runway portions, said reenforcing memberhaving a channel formation, the base of which abuts said window runwayportions and is secured thereto.

10. In a door of the character described,

in combination, a sheet metal pillar strip having a door edge portionand an angular window runway portion, a panel strip flanged to form thecomplementary portion of the window runway, and a reenforcing memberdisposed between said door edge portion and both said window runwayportions, said reenforcing member having a channel formation, the baseof which abuts said window runway portions and is secured thereto, andhaving outwardly extending flanges at the mouth of the channel abuttingand secured to said door edge portion.

' 11. In a pillar of the character described, in combination, a verticalreenforcing strip of channel shape and flanged at the mouth reenforcingstrip and having a portion disposed against the open face'ot' thereenforcing strip, and having a flanged portion constituting a windowrunway element, a panel strip flanged to form the complementary portionof the window runway, said panel strip and the flanged portion of saidpillar strip positioned at the opposite face of the reenforcing stripand seated against the bottom wall of the channel whereby said panelstrip and pillar strip portions are reenforced.

12. In a door of the character described, in combination, a pillar stripshaped to form an edge wall of the door and having an angular windowrunway portion spaced inwardly of the edge wall, a panel strip flangedto form thecomplementary portion of the window runway and a reenforcinplate, angular in cross-section, disposed between and secured to bothsaid edge walls, said runway portion and said panel strip.

13. In a door of the character described, in combination, a sheet metalpillar strip havinga door edge portion and an angular window runwayportion, a panel strip flanged to form the complementary portion of thewindow runway, and a channel reenforcing member disposed between saiddoor edge portion and both said window runway portions, said reenforcingmember havin lat erally extending flanges secured to sai door edgeportion, and the base of said channel member abutting and secured tosaid window runway portions.

This specification signed this 11th day of September, 1925. a

. ALBERT L. LAMBERT.

of the channel, aipillar strip embracing the

